Forest Fire News

VICTORIA, B.C. – The provincial government says that thanks to cooler weather and progress in containing the record number of wildfires the province has experienced this summer, it has decided to cancel the provincial state of emergency that was in effect for the entire province. The state of emergency was declared on August 15th and extended last week. Since then,...

VICTORIA, B.C. - The Province is asking residents to be cautious this long weekend when enjoying the outdoors. Campfire bans remain in place for all of B.C. except for here in the B.C. Peace, in the Fort Nelson Forest District and in the "Fog Zone" on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The 2018 fire season is far from over. While...

WATSON LAKE, Y.T. – Firefighters with the BC Wildfire Service are getting some help from Mother Nature in the battle against the Lutz Creek Fire, which is burning near Lower Post. The fire, which merged with the nearby Blue River Fire last week, now sits at an estimated 100,799 hectares, roughly 5,000 hectares less than the previous estimate. The Wildfire Service...

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. - The BC Wildfire Service says that campfires will once again be allowed in the Fort Nelson and Peace Forest Districts, effective at noon on Tuesday, August 28th. The Wildfire Service says that a combination of more seasonal weather conditions with rainfall and cooler temperatures, along with a decrease in the fire danger rating, have reduced the...

WATSON LAKE, Y.T. - At least three homes in the community of Lower Post along the Alaska Highway have been consumed by the Lutz Creek Fire, which has merged with the nearby Blue River Fire and ballooned to 106,000 hectares. The BC Wildfire Service says that there are currently 41 firefighters, four helicopters, and three pieces of heavy equipment battling...

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Though Northeast B.C. hasn't experienced the same amount of wildfires as the rest of the province, B.C. is still burning up. Since April 1st, the province has seen 1,937 wildfires which have collectively burned through 629,000 hectares worth of land. Over 3,738 personnel and 238 aircraft are currently working on 563 active wildfires across the...

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. - Data from the B.C. Ministry of Environment shows that the air quality health index in Fort St. John as of 6:00 a.m. Wednesday was rated 10-plus due to the presence of thick smoke in the air. A smoky skies bulletin that was issued by the Ministry of Environment remains in effect for Northeast B.C. today. As...

UPDATE - As of 3 p.m. August 22 - The Highway is open to single lane alternating traffic with flagger and with pilot car. UPDATE - As of August 22, the Highway remains closed from Coal River to the Yukon Border. FORT NELSON, B.C. - The Alaska Highway is closed between Coal River and the Yukon Border due to a forest...

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – Officials with the BC Wildfire Service say that while fire crews got some cooler temperatures over the past few days, the heavy smoke covering the province is causing complications for those battling the flames from the air. Fire Information Officer Amanda Reynolds with the Prince George Fire Centre said that some of the helicopters and air...

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Fort St. John Co-op is currently accepting donations to the Red Cross in support of B.C. wildfire evacuees, and will be matching all donations it receives. Co-op General Manager Brad Lussier said that residents wishing to make a donation to the Red Cross can do so at both Co-op locations in Fort St. John...

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - The City of Dawson Creek will open a reception centre for anyone evacuated due to forest fires. According to the post on Facebook, the City will open the reception centre at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, August 18 at the Dawson Creek Fire Department. The centre will be set up to assist any residents evacuated from their homes...

CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. - More Firefighters from northeast B.C. are headed to help fight forest fires in other areas of B.C. The Peace River Regional District has sent volunteers from the Charlie Lake Fire Department to Burns Lake. The Department will send tender three and two volunteers to help in the wildfire response. According to the PRRD, they will be...

VICTORIA, B.C. – The provincial government says that it will match all donations up to $20 million received by the Canadian Red Cross in support of residents affected by the wildfires that are burning around B.C. "The Red Cross is on the ground, helping people and communities affected by the wildfires burning around the province," said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary...

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The BC Wildfire Service says that all open burning, including campfires, will be prohibited across Northeast B.C. this weekend. Fire Information Officer Amanda Reynolds with the Prince George Fire Centre said that the ban on campfires, Category 2, and Category 3 open fires will be going into effect at noon Pacific time on Saturday, Aug....

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Officials with the BC Wildfire Service say that compared to what is occurring in the rest of the province, the wildfire situation in Northeast B.C. is relatively tame. According to Fire Information Officer Amanda Reynolds with the Prince George Fire Centre, there are only a couple of fires larger than 1,000 hectares currently burning in...

VICTORIA, B.C. - With over 560 forest fires burning in B.C., the Canadian Red Cross has launched an appeal for donations. The donations will go to support those people impacted by this summers wildfires. The Canadian Red Cross works alongside the Province of British Columbia, local authorities, and First Nations leadership to plan how to help those affected by the...

WATSON LAKE, Y.T. - Officials with the BC Wildfire Service say that a wildfire burning southwest of Lower Post, which is located along the Alaska Highway southeast of Watson Lake, has seen massive growth in the past day. In an update posted on Twitter, the Wildfire Service said that the Lutz Creek Fire, which is approximately 11 kilometres southwest of...

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Officials with the BC Wildfire Service say that residents in Northeast B.C. could begin to see some of the smoke from wildfires burning in the rest of the province begin to dissipate later this week, though they aren’t offering any guarantees. B.C.'s Chief Fire Information Officer Kevin Skrepnik spoke during a joint press conference this...

The latest local news, sports and community events from Fort St. John and the communities of the North Peace. Plus we cover news from Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Hudson's Hope, Tumbler Ridge and Fort Nelson.